Baptism and Jesus

[hays1122]

Why did Jesus wait till he was a grown man to be baptized? Matthew 3:13,“Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.”

And why don’t churches teach that people should be baptized around the same age that Jesus was when he was baptized?
The bible says:
“leaving you an example that you should follow his steps.”
1 Peter 2:21-22,
“For unto this are you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.”
I ask that I may learn.
2 Timothy 2:15
“Carefully study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

 

[BlestOne]

Why did Jesus wait till he was a grown man to be baptized? Matthew 3:13,"Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him."Because before that there was no baptism…

And why don’t churches teach that people should be baptized around the same age that Jesus was when he was baptized?
The bible says:
“leaving you an example that you should follow his steps.”
1 Peter 2:21-22,
“For unto this are you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.”
I ask that I may learn.
2 Timothy 2:15
“Carefully study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

How about Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said to them: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for the kingdom of heaven is for such. 15 And when he had imposed hands upon them, he departed from thence.
Or
Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul. 15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying: If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

 

[LMP]

Why did Jesus wait till he was a grown man to be baptized? Matthew 3:13,“Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.”

And why don’t churches teach that people should be baptized around the same age that Jesus was when he was baptized?
The bible says:
“leaving you an example that you should follow his steps.”
1 Peter 2:21-22,

I think the most important thing about your question is that it is a question. You are curious and searching for answers regarding God. The Church, too, is still questioning and learning. It is a blessing that all answers are not obvious in our life here on earth.

Part of your answer lies in your fixation on age. It is my belief because I have been taught this by the Church that age is a human concept. God’s ways are not our ways. We are told this through the Word. We are also told that all our curiosities will be satisfied when we meet with Him. We will finally have rest and peace, but until that ‘human’ time comes, we should still knock, seek, and ask. This is what is pleasing to God. Our desire to know Him, not so much the specific answers.

It is really hard to go along, though, through this world, feeling rather stupid about biblical things, wishing we could pop off an educated answer at a moment’s notice, but this, is wonderful, yes, yet not necessary. Jesus says that people who are “poor” will inherit the kingdom. Poor can mean not knowing all the answers to every question. Even NT James the Just talks about ‘poor’ in Chapter 2. When I read this, I think to myself, "It would be a complete honor to ‘sit at my feet’, instead of asked to ‘sit here, please’ because they thought I was ‘rich’. God teaches through Jame’s chapter 2 which then can be linked over to next Sunday’s readings, that “the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.”

I don’t know how many different ways it is said in the Bible, but when a person puts on their ‘poor’ questioning clothes in search of God, the answer is always love thy fellow as God has loved you. This is what the Church, Jesus, teaches and all other answers will follow in this light.

 

[fellicia]

I have had this question aked to me from many people. Why do the Catholic Church baptise babies?

My usual answer is as a baby your’e Mother/Father/Godparents etc agree to bring you up in the teachings of the Lord and you are welcomed into God’s family through Baptism.
…The majority of other Churches also have a similar cerimony (sp?) (eg. dedication), with a similar meaning to them.

Later when us ourselves understand a certain amount of the teachings of The Lord we can confirm our Baptism and let God know that we wish to stay and follow Him. .
…These other Churches tend to do again a similar cerimony and call it Baptism.

(These cerimonies may not be the same to God but to the people that join in with these, they have a very similar meaning.)

As above it is mentioned in the Bible that Baptising children is God’s will. Jesus said to Baptise everyone, no age was mentioned, He also never mentioned His actual age of Baptism - so to me it seems irrelevant.

 

[MarcoPolo]

And why don’t churches teach that people should be baptized around the same age that Jesus was when he was baptized?
The bible says:
“leaving you an example that you should follow his steps.”

I don’t recall Jesus making a point to follow suit with His age at baptism…otherwise, what if a 60-year old person comes to Christ? How can he fulfill the “get baptized at exactly the same age as Jesus” requirement?

The 1 Peter 2 quote you provided is preceded with the following words:

1 Peter 2:21 Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.

Peter is specifically talking here about Christ’s example of suffering, and so too, will we.

 

[FCEGM]

Why did Jesus wait till he was a grown man to be baptized? Matthew 3:13,“Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.”. . …

Because He wasn’t undergoing a Christian baptism (how could he?! ) ; He submitted to the baptism performed by John as a sign of His entry into His public life (and, as the Fathers teach, His entry into the water sanctified it as the sign of Christian baptism).

The baptism performed by John is that it is “a unique baptism in the desert in view of the repentance and pardon (Mk 1:4p). . .The baptism of John set up only a provisional economy: it is a baptism of water which is preparatory to the Messianic baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire,” Xavier Leon-Dufour, Dictionary of Biblical Theology. It was an external ritual signifying an effort of conversion of the baptized (much as many Protestant denominations look upon baptism today).

The baptism of John was the “mikveh”, a ritualistic bath which was a common “rite” in Jewish worship. However, in the case of the baptism of John, he was applying the mikveh in a particular sense: a sense of conversion TO Judaism. When one becomes a Jew (even today, in Orthodox Judaism), one has his head shaved and his fingernails and toenails closely cut - as if one is a baby again; and one is immersed into the mikveh (the ritualistic bath) so as to emerge and be “reborn” as a Jew. This is exactly what John was doing as the precursor to the Messiah.

For 2000 years God has asked the people of Israel to keep faith with His Commandments - and for 2000 years the Israelites had failed to do this. Yet, now St. John comes along preaching a baptism of repentance to prepare for the Messiah. Here, what St. John is saying is: "Okay, everybody! Come on back! Become REAL Jews and truly commit yourself to the Jewish Covenant to which you have been unfaithful. THIS is what is meant by the “baptism of John” - a baptism into Judaism, into the Jewish Covenant - in preparation for the Messiah’s coming.

However, Jesus’ Baptism (the Baptism He instructs His Apostles to perform in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit) will do something greater. It will be the Baptism into a NEW Covenant - a Baptism into His Church. The Greek work for “Church” (Ekklesia) means “those who are called out” - that is, out of Judaism, out of the old Covenant of law and into the New Covenant of love. Thus the Church will be that remnant of Israel which, along with the Gentiles, will accept Jesus as their Messiah and King. John’s baptism was not enough to accomplish this. While John’s baptism made one fit to be a Jew (one faithful to the Covenant), it did not make one “born again” into the new Covenant in Christ - just as Christ tells Nicodemus in John 3. So a new baptism was necessary.

John’s baptism, therefore, was NOT for the removal of Original Sin and being born into the New Covenant; rather it was a preparation for the pouring out of the Holy Spirit through the Death and Resurrection of Our Savior. It is the Christian baptism by water and the Spirit into His Death and Resurrection that accomplishes in the soul (1 Cor. 1:13; Romans 6:3 & 9) what it signifies - a rebirth into Christ, the Sinless One, who signs us with His Cross and the power of His Resurrection. It is the new and greater “circumcision” that now joins together Jew and Gentile, male and female, adult and babe into the Familial Covenant of Christ.

 

[hays1122]

Thank you for your answers.
I have wondered about why very young children are baptized. We read about adults being baptized in the bible but never children.
I do understand about Jesus not needing to be baptized in the same way we are baptized. We hear so much about how we should follow Jesus example and He was setting an example for us.
There are other things Jesus did that we don’t do. Like he washed the apostles feet. Matt.13:14
“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
Religion is complicated.

 

[Ruthie]

There is Biblical evidence for infant baptism, but it is indirect.

There are several places where someone is baptized with their whole household. A household then was much bigger than it is today in America. Back then it included the extended family, and servants. Children, when they married, would stay part of the household.

So a household was large, and multi-generational. It is very likely that an infant or two would be included.

But the real origin of infant baptism lies in its necessity for salvation, and its removal of the stain of original sin. What parent would want to risk their child’s missing out on Heaven? This has been a very real worry for parents during most of the history of Christianity. It is only recently that infant mortality has been reduced to the point that most babies live to grow up; before that, most families lost at least one child to common diseases such as whooping cough. There are still many places where infant mortality is very high.

Jesus’ words, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” can be interpreted two ways. One is that He will not refuse an unbaptized child Heaven - but the other is that we have the responsibility to get them there: “do not hinder them.”

I believe both. I would not want to stand in front of Jesus and have Him ask me why I gambled with my child’s salvation!

Your sister in Christ,

Ruthie

 

[FCEGM]

Thank you for your answers.
I have wondered about why very young children are baptized. We read about adults being baptized in the bible but never children.

hays, these two articles might help you understand why the Catholic Church admits young children and infants for baptism:

catholic.com/thisrock/1991/9109frs.asp

catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0012sbs.asp

There are other things Jesus did that we don’t do. Like he washed the apostles feet. Matt.13:14
“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

The washing of the feet is something done by many Christians - Catholics, Orthodox and those Protestants who have maintained a liturgical tradition. Here is one example from the Liturgy of Holy Thursday at an Eastern Catholic Church:

youtube.com/watch?v=QtWOfDXPMgI&feature=related

Non-liturgically, though, all Christians do this when we profoundly respect each person we encounter and in humility care for our brothers and sisters.

 

[Genesis315]

From a practical standpoint, He was older so He could not only teach this Sacrament by example, but also by word–He could explain its significance. Plus, He couldn’t have been baptized as an Infant–John the Baptist would have been a baby too!

 

[tm30]

Why did Jesus wait till he was a grown man to be baptized? Matthew 3:13,“Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.”

And why don’t churches teach that people should be baptized around the same age that Jesus was when he was baptized?

The problem on this is perspective. It’s a common mistake to perceive baptism as something WE accomplish, therefore WE must be of a certain age and understanding to request it. This is wrong. Baptism is spiritual adoption into the family of God, and although it requires the proxy promise of godparents for infants, membership in the family of God doesn’t come with an entrance exam.

Put it this way - if only a person of certain age and understanding who can consciously CHOOSE to be baptized should be eligible for baptism, what then of the mentally ill or mentally handicapped who may not be able to genuinely decide for themselves? Are they simply out of luck and not worthy of being adoptive sons and daughters of God? No, of course not. The Holy Spirit doesn’t have a litmus test. So there’s really no good reason NOT to baptize infants, except that it does not conform with fundamentalist approach to Scripture.

 

[hays1122]

hays, these two articles might help you understand why the Catholic Church admits young children and infants for baptism:

catholic.com/thisrock/1991/9109frs.asp

catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0012sbs.asp

The washing of the feet is something done by many Christians - Catholics, Orthodox and those Protestants who have maintained a liturgical tradition. Here is one example from the Liturgy of Holy Thursday at an Eastern Catholic Church:

youtube.com/watch?v=QtWOfDXPMgI&feature=related

Non-liturgically, though, all Christians do this when we profoundly respect each person we encounter and in humility care for our brothers and sisters.

Those links were very helpful. One thing that worries me now is
“Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. No one is excepted, not [even] the infant.” (On Abraham 1:3:21 [A.D. 387]).
That’s sad when we think of all the babies that die without being baptized.
When I hear on the news about babies that die,especially in places of war,I felt a sort of consolation that they were in heaven and out of harms way. Like the babies that are killed in unchristian countries. If they were allowed to grow up to be Muslim,Buddhist or Hindu, they may not go to heaven at all.
But now after reading,“No one is excepted, not [even] the infant.” ,
I feel sadness.
I also bookmarked the website recommended.
cin.org/users/james/reference/info_sources.htm#tradition
I’ll learn a lot there.
Thank you,and may the Lord reveal His truth to us all!

 

[MarcoPolo]

That’s sad when we think of all the babies that die without being baptized.

The Church certainly does not teach that babies who die unbaptized go to hell:

Catechism #1261 As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,” allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church’s call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.

See also #1260.

 

[hays1122]

The Church certainly does not teach that babies who die unbaptized go to hell:

Catechism #1261 As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,” allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church’s call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.

See also #1260.

That’s good news. I’m glad all children go to heaven.

 

[adstrinity]

And why don’t churches teach that people should be baptized around the same age that Jesus was when he was baptized?

Because people may not make it to 30 years old. That is assuming an awful lot.

 

[juliamajor]

“didHAP. VII.–CONCERNING BAPTISM. this is what the"Didache” says. Notice- no age requirements

<1> And concerning baptism,(15) thus baptize ye:(16) Having first said

all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit,(17) in living water.(18) <2> But if thou have not
living water, baptize into other water; and if thou canst not in cold, in
warm. <3> But if thou have not either, pour out water thrice(19) upon the
head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit. <4> But before the
baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whatever others can;
but thou shalt order the baptized to fast one or two days before.(20)

 

[promethius]

There are other things Jesus did that we don’t do. Like he washed the apostles feet. Matt.13:14

“We” don’t? You could have fooled me . Annually, catholic churches have a washing of the feet, whereby representatives of the congregation are chosen to represent the whole of the body of the church, and have their feet washed by the priest (or in some cases another minister).

 

[promethius]

Those links were very helpful. One thing that worries me now is
“Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. No one is excepted, not [even] the infant.” (On Abraham 1:3:21 [A.D. 387]).
That’s sad when we think of all the babies that die without being baptized.

Hmmn, i’m going to try to phrase this in plain english as much as possible.

Well, let’s look at a couple of things. Baptism can be accomplished by blood, by water, or by desire. The most common form of baptism as we think of it today is that by water.

HOWEVER, if a person has desire for a sacrament AND intention of completing said sacrament, their spiritual desire represents acceptable completion should they die “en route” to the act itself.

As we see from scripture, we are called to have faith like a child. The fundamental assumption here is that all people are created with a fundamental understanding of morality and God, and that as a child we have the capacity for wondrous faith. This is, in part, justification for the baptism of infants… the spiritual adoption into the Body of the Church, but based on the inherent desire of man for God. As such, ALL babies are born with the desire for sacraments required in order to receive baptism by desire (or so we hope, as we say when we state “we entrust their souls to the mercy of God”).

Further, there is the concept of invincible ignorance to account for as well. If, by no fault of their own, a person has never received proper catechisis into Christian life, they are in a state by which they have failed to be properly initiated… and yet we trust THEIR souls to the mercy of God as well. The world drives us from God, and so without proper education and availability of the sacraments, a person shouldn’t be held to be lost to hell. This reaches back as well to the basic concept that man is born with moral fundamentals and basic knowledge of God. So we can also consider babies who are born into hindu or muslim (etc) families to be protected by their status as “invincibly ignorant” of the church… their lack of knowledge is not their fault and so they are not accountable for it.

Trust God, He knows, is all just and merciful.

 

[hays1122]

“We” don’t? You could have fooled me . Annually, catholic churches have a washing of the feet, whereby representatives of the congregation are chosen to represent the whole of the body of the church, and have their feet washed by the priest (or in some cases another minister).

I had never heard of this practice. There is so much I don’t know about the catholic church. Thank you for setting me straight.

 

[hays1122]

Hmmn, i’m going to try to phrase this in plain english as much as possible.

Well, let’s look at a couple of things. Baptism can be accomplished by blood, by water, or by desire. The most common form of baptism as we think of it today is that by water.

HOWEVER, if a person has desire for a sacrament AND intention of completing said sacrament, their spiritual desire represents acceptable completion should they die “en route” to the act itself.

As we see from scripture, we are called to have faith like a child. The fundamental assumption here is that all people are created with a fundamental understanding of morality and God, and that as a child we have the capacity for wondrous faith. This is, in part, justification for the baptism of infants… the spiritual adoption into the Body of the Church, but based on the inherent desire of man for God. As such, ALL babies are born with the desire for sacraments required in order to receive baptism by desire (or so we hope, as we say when we state “we entrust their souls to the mercy of God”).

Further, there is the concept of invincible ignorance to account for as well. If, by no fault of their own, a person has never received proper catechisis into Christian life, they are in a state by which they have failed to be properly initiated… and yet we trust THEIR souls to the mercy of God as well. The world drives us from God, and so without proper education and availability of the sacraments, a person shouldn’t be held to be lost to hell. This reaches back as well to the basic concept that man is born with moral fundamentals and basic knowledge of God. So we can also consider babies who are born into hindu or muslim (etc) families to be protected by their status as “invincibly ignorant” of the church… their lack of knowledge is not their fault and so they are not accountable for it.

Trust God, He knows, is all just and merciful.

You explained this very clearly. I feel so much better.
Thank you